Share on other sites

The P-38 was designed as an interceptor. As such, it was expected that the pilot could do things like switch fuel tanks, change prop pitch, and adjust the mixture at his leisure. The main reason for the difference in combat performance between the PTO and ETO was the lack of an Integrated Air Defense System in the PTO. Japanese interceptors were trying to climb up to reach the American strikes and the P-38's had the advantage in situational awareness and energy. In the ETO the Germans had the edge in both due to their high quality (for the time) IADS. The P-38's switchology was too difficult for the average pilot whereas the P-51 gave the pilot a better chance. Other factors in the P-38's performance in the ETO were lack of experience and relative numbers. The P-51 arrived when the US had more knowledge and more planes and the Germans had fewer.

The P-47 was a better fighter bomber than the P-51 due to greater range-payload and lower vulnerability. The P-47 was capable of handling the German fighters but at $80,000 a piece vs $50,000 for a P-51 the P-47 had to be used where it was most effective.

The German IADS might have had better IADS than the Japs, but it had some serious, serious flaws. When the British intelligence figured them out, the whole Kammhuber Line came crashing down.

When I can find the time and energy I should make a topic about it, since it's quite an interesting subject.

I may as well post a cigarette ad from the 40's saying how great Lucky Strikes are for my lungs.

Again, you don't know what the hell you're talking about. You have a huge fucking battery of gears to keep a two row sleeve jug engine timed properly, if just one is put in wrong, that jug is out of time,

all you have for an "inferior" 2800 is two cam discs and two gears. That's it. It's all but impossible to fuck up the valve timing .

Go look at diagrams of the interiors of both engines, and you'll immediately see where you fucked up in believing a dual row sleeve valve engine is "simpler" because of some period spiel meant to sell engines.

Now, fucking blown hoods were put on the Corsair and Mustang to increase rearward visibility past the fuselage structure.

The '38 did not need it, because it already had excellent all around visibility. It had no aft fuselage to obstruct rearward visibility to begin with.

Sticking a full bubble canopy on a '38 would have given at best a minor improvement in visibility, and no improvement in performance.

For fuck's sake man, Use your goddamn head as something other than an ear spacer.